As we begin talking about communities in our level 1 class, I’ve dusted off and updated an activity that I used a while ago, but had forgotten about–an interpretive activity that directs students to draw a map of a fictional city. Adapted from a retired colleague who was way ahead of his time (Bob Hall from Colorado, I thank you for your generosity that continues today!), I’ve updated it for modern times.
In this activity, students receive a set of instructions in Spanish to draw a map of San Jacinto, a fictional city. While this may seem simple at face value, it is deceivingly complex. They need to be able to read carefully, use spatial skills (uf! this is a challenge!), and work collaboratively with their partners, in addition developing their language skills. I love that it engages them and challenges them, as well as that it allows me to be a facilitator rather than up front for the period.
Here’s a copy of the activity if you would like to try it. Let me know how it goes!San Jacinto city drawing activity
Aventuras Nuevas 
May I adapt this to another language?
Yes! If you would share it back with me to be posted & shared 🙂
I did this with a class today! They loved it. I made little papelitos with the locations (used the same emojis and vocab from the locations list on the instructions page) on them that they could manipulate on an 11×17 paper along with a some strips of paper for streets that they could move around as worked their way through the city description. It went really well. I’d be happy to share my Google Doc with the different city locations.